The Steel Wolf slammed into me like getting crushed by a blade covered beast.
I barely had time to react. Just a moment ago, it sat on top of the garbage heap. Then suddenly, something fast, shiny with streaks of blue hit me right in the chest.
The breath whooshed out of me. Backward I went, flying. Off the floor my legs kicked, yet suddenly I was airborne just for a second till I crashed into a heap of old car panels covered in rust.
I dropped into the muck. Everything blurred before my eyes.
[ HP: 65/100 ]
[ WARNING: IMPACT TRAUMA ]
"Thirty-five percent health in one hit?" I coughed. It hurt to cough. "That's... that's not fair."
The wolf had no use for fair play. When it hit the ground, its steel claws tore into the soil with a deep crunch. Massive thing. Right there, it looked downright scary. Gears turned under its split ribs easy to spot. A constant buzz came from its glowing core.
It stayed quiet. Instead, out came a soft, metal-on-metal rasp.
I jumped up fast. My chest ached yet the metal shell kept my bones intact.
"Alright," I panted, raising my green blades let's go again
The wolf lunged.
This time, I'd prepared. Well, sort of close enough.
I moved fast to the left. Right then, the wolf bit down just missed me. Its teeth closed hard, right where I'd been.
I flopped into the muck, hacking sideways with my right blade.
The blade hit the wolf's side. Bright sparks shot out, flashing through the air. My reinforced knife tore into its metallic skin, opening up a wide cut. Instead of blood, thick oil burst from the wound.
The wolf cried out,
"Ha! You bleed oil!" I shouted.
Then again, I grew overconfident. Because of that, I hung around way past my welcome.
The wolf twisted fast, way quicker than any real creature. Then its tail, a thick metal rope, swung wide.
I used my daggers to stop it.
The chain slammed into my arms. Because of that, I couldn't feel anything. My grip broke loose. So the daggers shot from my fingers. Then they thudded into wet dirt a few steps off.
Uh-oh," I said quietly.
I had no weapon. Once more.
The wolf understood its gaze locked on mine, icy pupils flaring. Moving closer, step by step, no rush. Because it saw me for what I was: something to take down.
I moved backward till my spine bumped the row of car doors, no way out now.
Nice pup," I mumbled, voice wobbling. Maybe sit? Or hold on?
The wolf jumped, its target was my neck. One quick move, no warning at all.
I just acted no thinking at all. Hands flew into the air without warning. The left one clamped onto the upper jaw, quick and tight. Meanwhile, the right seized the lower jaw in a firm grip.
The creature crushed me into the car door, its jagged metal jaws just a hair from my nose. Not far at all. Hot fumes stank in every breath it took.
My arms were trembling each second felt heavier. I pushed through, relying on whatever power left in me. One breath after another kept me going. Pain shot through my limbs like sharp pulses.
Test of power… going head-to-head
The wolf had more power. Bit by bit, its mouth crept forward. Those pointed fangs moved nearer to my face.
I'm... not... something you eat!" I growled, jaw tight.
I had to have a tool. Anything at all would do.
I glanced downward. Its chest was shoved right into me. Thick metal covered it. Yet deep within… I spotted a glowing blue light, its heart. That central piece.
I couldn't grab my daggers. But I tried to hit it anyway.
Still, I carried a thick skull. That skull came with a broad brow. Because of the Scrap Rat pull-off, my hide turned tougher than stone.
"Use your head, Tom," I yelled. Literally.
I yanked my head backward then smashed it straight toward the wolf's snout.
It stung. Really bad. Bright flashes filled my eyes. The wolf froze though. Its skull jerked backward. For just a heartbeat, its hold on me slipped.
I held tight on its jaws. Because it was stunned, I spun fast shifting my hips sideways to flip it.
We slipped into the muck at the same time, my body hit first.
I grabbed for my knives. Through the slime I crept, hands darting, hunting wild.
The wolf stood up slowly. As it did, it shook its head clearing out the fog.
My fingers touched a chilly, jagged thing. Got it!
I took a single dagger. Right away, I moved on without looking for the second.
The wolf howled then lunged forward.
I flipped over onto my back, lifting the dagger high with two hands.
The wolf jumped on top of me.
The blade slipped inside. Just beneath the jaw. Into the tender cords of the throat.
The wolf stopped dead. Then its blue eyes grew wide.
I shoved. With a twist, into the knife I drove it further.
"Die!" I screamed.
The wolf jerked sideways. But its nails ripped into my back anyway. Even so, my life gauge kept falling.
[ HEALTH: 40/100 ]
[ HP: 25/100 ]
"Die, die, die!"
Sparks flew into my face. The wolf jerked hard, then fell still. After that, the rough sound from its chest faded out. Its eyes lost the glow, slowly turning black.
It got heavy real fast. Like a corpse on my chest. Four hundred pounds of rusted steel, slamming me down into the mud.
I stayed down for ages, just pulling air. Breathing hurt deep inside. Mud and grease soaked my skin.
[ TARGET ELIMINATED ]
[ EXPERIENCE GAINED: +150 ]
[ LEVEL UP! ]
[ LEVEL UP! ]
I shoved the lifeless wolf aside, wasn't easy. Took every bit of strength just to move it. Then I dragged myself clear, slow-like, and propped up on my elbows near a flat tire.
I was a wreck. My clothes? Torn apart. Blood dripped from three spots but still breathing though.
I took down an Elite," I gasped. Still catching breath, a smirk crawled onto my face. "Not bad for once, huh?
I looked up where I stood.
[ NAME: TOM ]
[ LEVEL: 4 ]
[ STRENGTH: 8 ]
[SPEED: 6 ]
[ DEFENSE: 9 ]
[ UNUSED STAT POINTS: 4 ]
I could sense energy surging through my body. Yet, the bleeding slowed down quite a bit. Even so, my muscles seemed heavier, tighter. Although it still hurt, the sharpness in my ribs softened into just a throb.
I checked out the dead wolf. Pretty massive thing, really. A perfect example of how nature builds things.
Faster than anything. I kept thinking about its pace. With that kind of quickness… dodging blows would be easier. No more taking hits. Just a streak gone before they see me.
"Agility," I whispered. "I need its Agility."
I dragged myself toward the body. Then the dark case showed up.
[ EXTRACTION AVAILABLE ]
[ TARGET: STEEL WOLF (ELITE) ]
I put my hand against the chilly steel side.
"Give me your speed," I said.
I hit [ YES ].
The system paused.
[ ANALYZING TARGET... ]
[ TIER 1 - PHYSICAL EXTRACTION (AGILITY BOOST) DETECTED ]
[ TIER 2 - BIOLOGICAL EXTRACTION (SENSORY REFLEX) DETECTED ]
I wanted the Speed," I told myself, really concentrating.
The extraction began.
Most times, it was like icy water running down. But now? More like a wave smashing everything.
A huge blast of blue light burst from the wolf, hitting my arm hard. Not soft, rough, sudden. Like grabbing a wire that's turned on.
[ WARNING: MENTAL LOAD EXCEEDING SAFE LIMITS ]
Gah!" I yelled.
My head, like a red-hot spike hammered straight through both temples. That earlier pain? Now it blew up, turned vicious, sharp as glass.
The ground began to wobble. While overhead, the violet heavens twisted round and round.
[ MENTAL INTEGRITY: 85% ]
[ MENTAL INTEGRITY: 70% ]
[ MENTAL INTEGRITY: 50% ]
It fell quicker than expected. Data overwhelmed me. That wolf? Top-tier threat. Its programming packed tight loaded with fight logic I couldn't keep up with.
Halt! I attempted to yank my hand back.
My hand just froze locked onto the body like it was pulled by a magnet. That glow pierced my eyes, harsh and sharp. Everything slowed down, caught in that flash.
[ WARNING: CRITICAL FAILURE IMMINENT ]
[ NEURAL OVERLOAD ]
Everything turned bright, like a flash. Then came this sharp noise - cutting through everything else instead of the breeze.
"Too much," I gasped. "It's too much."
My mind was empty, drained out fast. It got so hard to focus. Not even my own name came back to me. Where I'd ended up? Gone completely wiped.
[ EXTRACTION FAILED ]
[ REASON: MENTAL INTEGRITY TOO LOW ]
[ EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN INITIATED ]
The connection snapped.
My hand jerked backward. Then the blue glow disappeared.
I dropped down. Coolness hit my face from the wet ground.
I… didn't make it?" I muttered.
My body was a ton way heavier than that wolf. Eyelids like bricks, man. Lifting my head? Nope, no way could I do it.
The System box lit up again, harsh and red.
[ PENALTY: UNCONSCIOUSNESS ]
[ DURATION: UNKNOWN ]
"Not here," I thought, panic flaring weakly in my chest. "Not in the open. The rats... will eat me."
Still, I wasn't able to hold it back. Darkness surged, just like ocean waves. Out there in the Rustlands, every noise wind howling, metal groaning, far-off yelling slowly vanished.
The last thing I noticed? My hand in the soil. Tough it seemed. Almost like steel.
Then suddenly, darkness took over.